Weekend Review - McDonald unable to turn the tide for Germany

LCpl Mikey McDonald (RE) was unable to turn the tide as he came on as a half-time substitute in Germany’s 39-13 Rugby Europe Championship defeat in the Netherlands.

It was a third straight defeat for the visitors, who fell behind to an eighth-minute Siem Noorman try.

David Weersma converted before Reinhardt Fortuin dotted down shortly after for 12-0.

Germany got on the board with a Mika Tyumenev score added to by Edoardo Stella, and the fly-half then slotted a penalty to make it a two-point game at the break.

Scrum-half Mikey entered for the second stanza, but after Weersma and Stella exchanged early penalties, it was Netherlands who took command as tries from Wolf van Dijk, Ross Bennie-Coulson and David Anderson – added to by nine more points from Weersma – left Germany winless.

On the domestic front, wing LCpl Pita Ratukadreu (REME) played the full 80 minutes as Plymouth Albion snapped their three-match National One losing streak with a 24-3 bonus-point home triumph.

Tom Putt converted an early Craig Duncan try for Plymouth before Joe Winfield replied with a penalty, but the hosts were the only side to add to their tally from there as Jesse Lowe, Tom Cowan-Dickie and Dan Collier touched down, Putt adding to the latter’s effort.

Words © Richard Ashton

All images – Alligin Photography © Neil Kennedy